Warm Whispers
by emmylouuwho
Summary: Sequel to my stories "Your Hand in Mine" and "The Only Moment We Were Alone." Jecker. Takes place after 4.07. Beware of fluff.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: I meant to have this up sooner, but I was having some writer's block, and I'm still not completely happy with it. Let me know what you think. Reviews are love!**_

_**As always, I own nothing but a love for the show, two hyperactive dogs, and too many shoes.**_

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><p><em>Your warm whispers,<em>

_out of the dark they carry my heart._

_Your warm whispers,_

_into the dawn they carry me through..._

It had been a week and a half since Jess Parker's first foray into field work, it was her second day back at work, and she was thoroughly sick of having a sprained ankle. Or, more specifically, of her continued inability to wear heels. The only redeeming factors of her day were these - it was Friday, and she had a date that night. And not just _any_ date. A date with Captain Becker himself, a life-sized action figure who loved her and was making her dinner at his place that night. The sprain and the healing cuts on her leg were the only things keeping her from dancing around the office that afternoon.

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><p>Becker had been to see Jess a few times over the week she was out on medical leave, the first time on Monday. He'd been in the locker room before he left to see her on his lunch break, getting his coat and keys, when Connor walked in.<p>

"Where you off to, mate?" he asked.

"Out," Becker replied tersely, closing his locker.

"Right," Connor said, opening his own locker. "Can you bring me the black computer case on my desk when you come back? Forgot it when I left home this morning, didn't I?"

"Sure," Becker said, walking towards the door. Then he stopped in the doorway as he realized what he'd said. _Damn, that little geek is sneaky._

He turned back to see Connor grinning before he ducked behind his locker door. Becker sighed and turned back to the door.

* * *

><p>Becker knocked on Jess' door several times before he heard sounds from inside.<p>

"Did you forget your keys as well?" Jess' voice came from inside, slowly getting louder as she neared the door. "You'd better be interrupting my 'I Love Lucy' marathon for something important, Connor."

The door opened, revealing Jess, who looked annoyed, then shocked as she saw who it was. She blushed, shuffling from one foot to the other, leaning on the door frame. She was wearing a pair of baggy grey sweatpants that were cut off just above the knee, the bandages around her left thigh peeking out, and a turquoise tank top, the TV remote in her hand. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she was barefoot, her sprained right ankle wrapped up in an ace bandage. Becker grinned at this uncharacteristic (_Well, except for the turquoise_) sight.

"Sorry," she said. "I thought you were-"

"-Connor. Yes, I gathered that," he replied, still smiling. He held up the paper bag he was holding. "I brought lunch. Can I come in?"

"Course, yeah, come in," she said, holding the door open for him. She began to walk slowly toward the kitchen, limping slightly due to the bandages around her leg and ankle. He made to take her arm, but she jerked out of his grasp.

"I'm not an invalid," she snapped, and immediately looked up sheepishly. "Sorry." She sighed. "I've been feeling a bit useless the last few days. Makes me crabby."

Becker grinned sympathetically. "After you," he said, sweeping his arm out, then followed her into the kitchen, matching her snail's pace.

Becker had come over every day after that, usually after work, ostensibly to catch Jess up on the goings on at the ARC, but really just to see her. Abby and Connor were there in the evenings, so the four of them sat around boxes of takeout, talking and laughing for hours. But the tension between Becker and Jess was becoming very noticeable. Becker would be sitting next to Jess, and he'd absently take her hand while reminiscing with the other two, rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb, causing Jess to lose track of the conversation. Or Jess would lean against him, laughing at something Connor said, her head on his shoulder, and Becker would forget everything else. Or they would find themselves just staring at each other. Luckily for both of them, they missed the looks and smirks Abby and Connor gave each other whenever this happened.

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><p>Jess walked toward the elevators that evening, digging through her purse for her keys, and looked up when she reached them to see Becker waiting for the elevator, alone. She smiled brightly as she went to stand beside him. They stepped into the elevator in silence, and only when the doors closed, and they realized they were alone, did they look over at each other.<p>

"Hi," Jess said, giving Becker another bright smile.

Becker just grinned back, and after a moment, leaned down to kiss her lightly. Before she knew what she was doing, Jess had her arms around his neck, pulling him with her as she leaned against the elevator wall.

"You know," she said, as Becker trailed kisses from her jaw down her neck. "Tomorrow is Saturday."

"Mmhmm," he mumbled back.

"It's my day off," she explained.

"Mine too," Becker said, looking down at her with a wolfish grin, one eyebrow raised.

"Whatever shall we do to pass the time?" she asked in a prim voice, grinning back.

"Jessica Parker, you are a very surprising woman," he replied.

Just then the elevator dinged, signaling that they'd reached the underground car park. They jumped apart just as the doors opened.

"So, I'll see you tonight," Becker said. "Eight o'clock."

Jess just nodded, straightening her blouse, and hurried toward her car, looking back to smile at him when she reached it.

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><p>Jess smoothed down the front of her dark purple dress before knocking on Becker's door. She shifted nervously and tried to pull the hem of her dress down to cover the gashes across her thigh before giving up with a sigh.<em> Becker's already seen them. He <em>_**was**__ there when it happened after all,_ she thought, looking down at her shoes, a pair of flats she'd borrowed from Abby. She always felt so small and young, like a little girl, when she wasn't wearing heels.

Becker opened the door, wearing a white button down shirt and dark jeans, looking flustered. He gestured her inside.

"Make yourself at home, I've just got to go, ah..." he trailed off and hurried back to the kitchen.

Jess smiled, her nerves lessened. Somehow, Becker's discomposure had put her at ease. _This is Becker after all_, she thought, looking around his living room, putting down her coat and handbag. _My serious, sarcastic, gorgeous Becker._

She wandered around the living room. There was an over-stuffed brown leather sofa flanked by matching armchairs, a metal-and-glass coffee table in the center. It lacked many personal touches; there were a few photos on a bookshelf, some paperback novels and technical manuals.

Jess stepped closer to the photographs. In one, a younger Becker in dress uniform stood next to an equally solemn older man, who looked like a fifty-year-old version of Becker, while a petite woman stood smiling between the two men, her arms around them. In another, a teenage Becker stood in a back garden with his arm around an older woman who looked of an age to be his grandmother. In yet another, a dark-haired boy of about eight sat in front of a Christmas tree, holding a freshly unwrapped pellet gun in his lap, an overjoyed grin lighting up his face._ He really does love his guns,_ Jess thought with a smile, and joined Becker in the kitchen.

She found him standing in front of the stove, stirring something. She stood in the doorway, just watching him for a few moments, then walked over next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He looked down at her and smiled, putting a hand on the top of her head as though measuring her. "I never realized just how tiny you are," He said, a teasing grin on his face.

Jess poked him in the stomach playfully, and his hand dropped to her waist. "Why do you think I wear heels all the time?" She turned toward the stove, leaning into his chest. "So, what are we having?"

"Lemon risotto."

Jess raised her eyebrows. "I didn't believe you could actually cook, to tell you the truth."

"Excuse me? I am an excellent cook," he said in a mock offended tone, tickling her one-handed and laughing as she squirmed away. "Just a bit out of practice."

Becker held out the spoon for her to taste, and when she did she looked up in surprise. "You _can_ cook."

"I told you, I am a man of many talents." The teasing grin was back.

He was looking into her eyes, and Jess felt her smile fade as they looked at each other. After a few moments, the intensity of the look embarrassed her, and she looked away, blushing. Becker gently took her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her. Without thinking, Jess grabbed his shirt collar in her fists, pulling him closer, and suddenly found herself leaning back against the countertop, Becker pressed against her, his hands moving down to her hips.

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><p>Becker had only meant to kiss her briefly before returning to their dinner, but Jess had other ideas, and he certainly wasn't complaining. When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Jess was leaning against the counter, their faces inches apart, breath mingling. He looked down into her wide blue eyes, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between the two of them. She pulled him into another kiss, clutching his shirt in her fists, and his arms slipped around her waist. He barely had the presence of mind to turn off the stove before backing out of the kitchen and half-carrying Jess down the hall.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Jess propped herself up on her elbow to better consider the man sleeping next to her. He was lying on his side, one arm flung out underneath her shoulders, the other resting across her stomach. His hair was tousled, making him look younger and more relaxed. His head was turned toward her, mouth slightly agape, a soft snore occasionally escaping. She supposed this was the sound that had woken her, but she didn't mind._ He loves me_, she thought with a giddy smile._ This gorgeous man loves me._ Part of her could still hardly believe it was true.

She watched as the moonlight coming through the window played across Becker's face, and only then did she notice the small crease of a frown between his brows. She reached over and lightly smoothed it with her thumb, but seconds later it was back. He twitched, the frown line deepening.

Jess leaned in close, kissing his cheek, and whispered, "Becker?" He didn't respond, just twitched again, mumbling.

Jess wondered for a few moments whether she should wake him, but hearing the words _no_ and _don't_ amidst his mumblings, along with her name, decided for her.

"Becker," she said again, shaking his shoulder. "Becker. Becker, baby, wake up." Louder this time. "Becker. Please wake up. Wake up!"

He still didn't respond, and Jess was beginning to panic. "Becker!" she practically shouted in his ear. His eyelids shot open. He sat up straight, gasping and staring wildly around the darkened room before focusing on Jess' face. He stared at her, a terrified look in his eye that made her stomach tighten and sent a cold shiver down her spine. Then he grabbed her and enfolded her in a bone-crushing hug.

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><p>Becker was face down on the ground, a twig poking into his side. He looked up to see Jess across the clearing, slowly getting to her feet. Her back was to him as she gingerly tried to put weight on her right foot, her breath coming out in a hiss as she did so. She didn't see the creature coming up behind her. Becker tried to shout, to warn her, to catch the raptor's attention, <em>anything<em>, but he couldn't make a sound. Jess turned just before the raptor sprang, a look of sheer terror on her face. He tried to get up, to run to her, but he couldn't move. He could only watch in horror, helpless, as Jess disappeared under the creature's lethal claws, a bloodcurdling scream echoing through the trees. Only when the raptor moved away, disappearing into the trees, could Becker force his muscles to move, and he sprinted to her side. He knelt beside Jess, cradling her limp form to his chest, rocking back and forth in anguish.

Someone called his name. "Becker." He looked up, but he was alone. "Becker!" It was Jess' voice. He looked down, but his arms were suddenly empty. "Becker!" He turned in the direction of her voice, and took off running as fast as he could. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Never again. "Becker!"

Becker woke with a start, opening his eyes and sitting up in the same moment, staring around him. It took him a second to remember where he was, and then he looked over, focusing on Jess' pale face, her eyes filled with concern. He stared at her, afraid she might disappear as well. Then he pulled her into his arms, not wanting to ever let her go. He heard her stifled gasp of pain, and realized his mistake. He'd hurt her, pulled at the healing gashes along her stomach. He let go of her instantly, as though he'd been burned, and rubbed his hands over his face, mumbling, "Sorry. God, I'm sorry..."

Jess moved next to where Becker was sitting cross-legged in the bed, head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. She put her arms around him, planting a kiss on his shoulder before resting her cheek against it.

"It's alright, I'm fine," she whispered soothingly, running her hand along his forearm. "Bad dream?"

He didn't answer, except to mumble incoherently. "Becker?" she whispered, leaning closer. This wasn't the Becker she knew, always calm and in control, and it worried her to see him this way. He mumbled again, his hands muffling his words, but this time she caught the words _my fault_. Immediately, she grabbed his face between her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"You listen to me, Hilary Becker," she said. "What happened to me was not your fault. Last I checked, I make my own decisions, and I _chose_ to come along. I _chose_ to distract those creatures." She smiled at him, willing him to let go of his guilt. "Couldn't very well let you get eaten on our first date, now could I?"

"But it had you," Becker said, distracted and desperate, as though half of his mind was still back in the dream. "You were alone, and I couldn't move, and then you..." He swallowed and looked away.

"Hey," she said softly, looking into his eyes once more. "It was just a dream. I'm still here. I'm still here."

Becker finally seemed to hear her words and, shaking his head as though shaking off the dream, cupped her cheek in his hand. She leaned into his touch. He kissed her lightly and, drawing her into his arms, carefully this time, laid back down. Jess happily snuggled into his chest, quite content in his arms.

"I'm here," she whispered, feeling him begin to relax beneath her. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Eventually, both of them fell into untroubled sleep, arms around each other.

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><p>Becker woke early the next morning, his nightmare a vague memory, to something tickling his nose. He batted at it, his eyes still closed, and felt something soft. He opened his eyes and saw that it was a strand of auburn hair. He looked down at the sleeping girl lying with her head pillowed on his chest, and smiled, trying not to laugh. Her tousled hair was fanned across his chest, and her head was turned to face him, her left fist tucked under her chin, her right hand resting palm up, fingers curled, on his shoulder. Her body was spread across the bed away from him, legs at odd angles. She looked so calm and relaxed, and not at all her usual energetic self. Becker brushed a few strands of hair off her face, bending to kiss her forehead. She stirred in her sleep, turning toward him and moving to mold her body against his. He jerked as her feet brushed against his leg. <em>Holy God! They're like ice cubes!<em> He hooked the edge of the blankets around his foot, trying to wrap them around her feet. That done, he settled back into a contented sleep, his arms wrapped protectively around Jess.

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><p>Becker awoke a few hours later to the smell of coffee brewing, and the sounds of pots clanging together, followed by a muffled curse and a cupboard door closing. He opened his eyes to see he was alone in the bed. He walked into the kitchen, pulling a t-shirt on over his boxers, to find Jess, wearing his button down shirt from the night before, cracking eggs into a bowl. The pan from dinner the night before was in the sink, and he guessed that was the source of the banging. Jess hadn't heard him come in, and Becker stood leaning against the doorway. She turned to the fridge, and he caught a glimpse of electric blue panties as she leaned in to grab the milk carton. She added milk to the eggs, stirring them with a fork before pouring them into a skillet on the stove, humming softly to herself. Becker walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, brushing her hair out of the way to kiss her neck.<p>

"You didn't have to do this," he said into her neck, and was rewarded with a shiver.

"Seems only fair," she replied. "You cooked last night, so I'm cooking this morning."

"We didn't eat anything that I cooked last night," Becker said, his head on her shoulder, watching as she stirred the scrambled eggs around the pan.

"Exactly," she said, turning to smile at him. "So I am doubly hungry." As though to emphasize this statement, her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

He chuckled into the crook of her neck, causing another shiver.

"Toast?" he asked, and she nodded.

He walked over to the toaster, slipping two slices of bread into the slots. He pulled two plates and mugs out of the cupboard, setting them down next to the stove before resuming his spot behind Jess, arms around her waist. They stood together in companionable silence, Jess stirring the eggs. When they were finished, she divided them between the two plates, pulling the toast out of the toaster, while Becker poured them each a cup of coffee. Jess lifted herself onto the countertop next to her mug, holding her plate in her hands as she ate. Becker stood leaning against the opposite counter, his own plate in his hands.

After a few bites, Jess took a sip of coffee and said, "You know that you snore?"

"I do not," Becker replied in his exasperated "Jessica" voice.

"Oh, you do." Jess grinned. "I can't believe no one's told you that before."

Becker looked down at his plate. "There hasn't been anyone in a position to know. At least not for a long time."

Jess took another sip of coffee to hide her blush. She couldn't just leave it there though.

"No girlfriends mentioned it? Siblings?"

"They didn't usually spend the night. And I'm an only child," he answered softly after a moment, still looking at his plate. Jess grinned into her coffee cup, swinging her legs from side to side.

After a few minutes they'd both finished eating, and Becker walked over to stand between Jess' legs, his hands resting lightly on her thighs.

"So what are we going to do today?" Jess asked, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders.

He grinned devilishly up at her. "I could think of a few things." He kissed her grinning mouth, his hands sliding up to her hips, fingers pressing into her skin.

"Can you?" she replied, giggling.

"Mmhmm," he murmured, lips against her jaw, his fingers unbuttoning her shirt as her legs tangled around his waist. He pulled her down from the countertop, carrying her out of the room, but they only made it as far as the living room sofa.

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><p>Jess lay stretched out on the sofa, Becker's head resting on her shoulder, both of them still short of breath. He sat up slightly, looking down at the remnants of the raptor attack revealed by her unbuttoned shirt. His fingers traced the two fading red lines running diagonally across her stomach, beginning just under her bra on her right side, and ending over her left hip bone. She squirmed.<p>

"That tickles," she murmured, smiling up at him. Her smile faded when she saw the guilty look in Becker's eye.

"I'm sorry for these," he whispered. She reached up to lay her hand against his cheek, and he covered her hand with his own.

"I told you, not your fault," she stated emphatically.

"I know," he said softly. "I just... I'm still sorry that you got hurt. I don't like not being able to protect you."

She wasn't sure what he needed to hear, what would dissolve these guilty thoughts, so she simply reached up to kiss him deeply. He returned the kiss, his hand running up her side inside her shirt, making her shiver. Jess' cell phone rang. Jess sighed, and Becker let out a mumbled "Damn."

"Just ignore it," she whispered. "It's probably Abby. She loves to worry about me."

She had just captured Becker's lips with her own again when Becker's phone joined hers, both ringing shrilly. Becker groaned, leaning his head against her shoulder. "One day," he said angrily. "Can we not have _one_ _day_?"


	3. Chapter 3

Abby lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling while she fiddled with a corner of the bed sheet, going over what she wanted to say in her mind. Finally, she turned on her side to face Connor, who was lying on his stomach, arms crossed under his pillow, the corners of his mouth turned down in his sleep.

"Connor," she said softly, shaking his shoulder. "Connor!" Abby sighed, rolling her eyes. "You asked for it," she murmured with a shrug. She put her index finger into her mouth and pulled it out again with a soft _pop!_ before sticking it into Connor's exposed right ear. She grinned as he jerked, batting at her hand.

"Abby!" he groaned, opening his eyes to mere slits, glaring at her. She giggled. "Did you need something?" he murmured, exasperated.

"Yeah, actually," she replied, grin fading. She noticed his eyelids beginning to droop and smacked him lightly on the bum. "Hey! Wake up. I want to talk to you."

He groaned and sat up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the other hand, and looked at her expectantly. Abby took a deep breath and began her speech.

"It's about whatever you're working on with Burton," she said, and, seeing Connor start to tense, hurried to continue. "I know you'd tell me if you could. And I trust you." She took another deep breath. "You'll fix it, whatever it is. And... I... I'm sorry."

Connor stared, his thoughts written clearly on his face. He was always the one apologizing, usually after putting his foot in his mouth about something or other.

"Abby, I wanna tell you, I do, but-"

"I know," she interrupted. "You'll tell me when you can." She smiled, repeating, "I trust you." She leaned over to kiss him soundly before sliding out of bed.

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><p>Connor watched as Abby walked out of the room, clad only in a yellow tank top and bright pink panties. He heard her call to Jess, but she returned a moment later, just as he was getting out of bed himself, with a surprised look on her face.<p>

"What?" he asked, concern fading as he saw a grin replace the surprise.

"Jess never came home last night," she said. "Her bed hasn't been slept in."

"I guess her date with Becker was a success," Connor replied with an answering grin.

Abby snorted. "About time too. I was getting worried one of them would spontaneously combust if they didn't make a move soon."

Connor opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly cut him off. "Say one word about the science of spontaneous combustion and you're making breakfast."

Connor shut his mouth with a snap and followed her down the hall toward the kitchen. The silence was suddenly broken by both his and Abby's cell phones ringing simultaneously.

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><p>Jess and Becker walked into the ARC together, Jess tugging self-consciously at the hem of her dress. She wore a sky blue button-down shirt of Becker's cinched at the waist with the thin silver belt she'd worn the night before, the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows, over her maroon dress so that it looked like a skirt.<p>

Jess caught herself wishing she could become invisible, something she hadn't done in a long time. When she started university at fifteen, she spent the first few weeks trying to avoid the curious stares in her classes. But after a while, the other students got used to such a young classmate, and she proved that she could keep up. She made friends. By the time she graduated at eighteen, she'd gotten used to having to prove to people that she was more than capable, despite her age, and her outgoing, bubbly nature was firmly established once again.

Now people were going to be staring at her for a different reason. Always wondering how she'd gotten the scars on her leg, wondering if they were a sign that she couldn't do her job properly. The doctors told her they would fade a small amount in time, but they would always be there - three raised, slightly discolored scars down her thigh.

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><p>Becker glanced over as Jess tugged again at the hem of her dress. At first he thought she was worried about wearing the same clothes from the night before, even though they weren't the ones she'd worn to work. Then he noticed she was concentrating her efforts on the impossible task of hiding the wide red gashes running diagonally down her left thigh, ending just below her knee. Becker took her hand away from her hem, lacing his fingers in hers. She looked up at him, attempting a smile, but he could see the unshed tears in her eyes.<p>

He steered her into a deserted side corridor, and her face immediately crumpled. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek against his chest, and he felt her tears dampen the front of his shirt. "Shh," he whispered soothingly, putting one arm around her shoulders, the other hand stroking her hair. He kissed the top of her head, still murmuring soothingly, and realized that this was the first time he'd really thought about just how young she was. Jess spent so much time bossing all of them around - _that was her job after all _- always in control of the situation, that she seemed older, more mature. But in that moment she was just a nineteen-year-old girl, crying over the scars she'd have to carry around the rest of her life.

Jess' tears lessened after a few minutes and she looked up sheepishly, attempting another smile. "Sorry," she said, sniffing. "I'm just being stupid."

Becker took her tear-streaked face between his hands, wiping away the last of them with his thumbs. "You're never stupid. You are my beautiful, brilliant Jess." She tried to look away, but Becker wouldn't let her. He took a deep breath, thinking, _Get a grip, you idiot, she needs to hear it_. "Love you."

* * *

><p>Jess looked into Becker's eyes, smiling genuinely through her tears. She knew how hard it was for him to say things like that. He hated talking about his feelings, and showing weakness or vulnerability or whatever.<p>

She hugged him tightly about the waist for a moment, whispering into his chest, "Love you too."

Then she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He put a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her towards him to kiss her lips. Jess stepped away reluctantly, pulling a tissue from her purse._ Thank God I wore waterproof mascara_, she thought, dabbing at her eyes.

Jess turned back to the main corridor and Becker came up to walk beside her, both of them heading for the locker room once more. After a few steps, he put his arm around her shoulders, giving them a quick squeeze, and she leaned into his side. Becker kept his arm around her shoulders as they continued down the hall, silently offering her his support.

* * *

><p>Danny walked down the corridor, heading to the locker room before going to his new office, hoping he wouldn't get lost this time. Several feet in front of him, Jess and Becker entered the corridor and headed off in the same direction as him. He grinned as he saw Becker put his arm around the girl's thin shoulders. <em>At least one good thing came out of her accident,<em> he thought. _Scared soldier boy into finally making a move._

As he watched the young couple walking ahead of him, Danny made a decision. This job was too important, too dangerous. _What happened to Jess is proof of that_. They needed to do something soon about Burton, about the anomalies, before more people got hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

Becker and Jess left the ARC as soon as they could that evening, around seven, and headed straight for Jess' flat. It had been a long day, which should have been their day off, starting with an anomaly opening in the choir loft of a local church an hour before their annual rummage sale was due to start. So, after saving a bunch of white-haired ladies from potentially being eaten by dinosaurs, Becker and Jess picked up Chinese takeout and settled in front of the television, exhausted. Before either of them had gotten halfway through their supper, both were asleep, lying on the sofa in the flickering light of the television.

* * *

><p>Abby and Connor left work later than usual, so they stopped to pick up a pizza on the way home, arriving at the flat after nine-thirty. Abby entered several steps ahead of Connor, heading straight for the living room with the pizza box in her hands. Connor had only just stepped inside and closed the door behind when Abby came hurrying back up the hall, finger to her lips. He cocked his head questioningly to one side, mouthing, <em>What?<em> She simply beckoned him to follow and headed back down the hall to the living room.

The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the television, which was showing a WWII movie, the volume turned down to a faint murmuring. Two pairs of shoes lay on the floor next to the coffee table, one a pair of brown flats, the other a pair of large black combat boots. A black sock lay on the floor next to the shoes, its mate sticking out of the top of one boot. Connor's gaze moved upwards to the figures tangled on the sofa in front of the television.

Becker was lying across the sofa, his head resting on a bright blue throw pillow. Jess was on her side, her body tucked between the soldier and the back of the sofa, head resting on his shoulder, her arm flung across his chest, hand dangling in midair directly over where the TV remote lay on the floor. Becker's arms were wrapped around Jess, and both of them were fast asleep. Connor stepped towards them, mischief gleaming in his eyes, but Abby intercepted him, grabbing his sleeve and towing him down the hall toward their bedroom, the pizza box held in her other hand. It seemed they were going to be eating supper in their room.

* * *

><p>Becker woke sometime in the middle of the night. Groggily cracking his eyes open, he checked his watch.<em> 4:13 AM. Brilliant.<em> He turned his head slightly to look at Jess, but she was still asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful. He noticed her hand hanging off the edge of the sofa, her arm across his chest. He reached out, taking her tiny hand in his. As he lifted her hand back onto his chest, the thick pink bracelet she wore slid down her arm, and he noticed for the first time the small tattoo on the inside of her right wrist. He looked closer, holding her wrist close to his face to see it in the dim light from the muted television. There were two sets of initials in dark blue ink, the letters no more than a half centimeter high.

_ERP & DCP_

"Emma Reilly Parker and Donovan Charles Parker," Jess' voice murmured from somewhere near his ear. He looked down to see her looking steadily at him, her chin resting on his chest. Her face was filled with a familiar sadness, as though she'd long ago gotten used to it. "My mum and brother," she clarified at his confused frown.

"What happened?" he asked softly after a moment, releasing her wrist.

"They died," she replied simply.

Becker didn't say anything, waiting to see if she would continue. His arm tightened around her shoulders. He didn't want to press her for information; he hated to see that suffering look in her eye. But he didn't know if she needed to talk about it. He was never very good at reading people's emotions.

Jess took a deep breath and laid her head back onto his chest, looking away from him. "Mum died when I was ten. Cancer. My parents had me quite late. Angela, my sister, is eight years older than me, and Donny is, was, five years older. Dad used to joke that I was their 'happy accident,'" she smiled slightly. "After Mum died, Angie pretty much raised me. She's married now, has three kids. She's a nurse in Dublin. Her husband is Irish," she explained, rambling slightly.

"And your brother?" Becker coaxed gently.

"He was a wildlife photographer," she said proudly. "He traveled all over the world for different magazines. He died in a car accident in Sydney two years ago." She took a shaky breath, and finally looked at him again with a sad smile. "But I've still got Dad. And Angie."

Becker pulled her closer, one hand in her hair, holding her to him. She squeezed him back, and after a few minutes started to get up from the sofa. He grabbed her hand as she stood, trying to pull her back down, but she turned to him with a grin. "Come on," she whispered, pulling him up by the hand holding hers. "I'm cold. And I don't fancy waking up to Connor grinning in my face tomorrow morning." He couldn't argue with that, and followed Jess as she padded down the hall to the bedroom on the left, opening the door and turning on a floor lamp inside.

Jess' bedroom was just what Becker would have expected, filled with color, the walls a pale green. A dark wood frame holding a queen-sized bed, covered in a turquoise comforter and topped with several solid-colored throw pillows, stood under a large window against the wall opposite the door. An open door in the wall to the right led to the bathroom, a tall wood dresser along the same wall. An over-stuffed chocolate brown armchair and ottoman were pushed into a corner, a bright pink blanket draped over the arm. A white-washed armoire, one door ajar to reveal a mess of brightly colored fabrics, stood against the same wall as the bedroom door.

The wall to the left was almost completely covered in photographs. Becker stepped closer to this wall, curious. There were photos of landscapes and wildlife, taken by Jess' brother he assumed, from all over the world - India, Australia, the Amazon, Africa, the South Pacific - interspersed with photos of people. He recognized Jess in many of these. Current Jess, only with shorter hair, sat on a couch with a pregnant brunette in her late twenties, a blonde boy around five years old sitting between them while Jess held a red-haired girl of about three in her lap. Jess in graduation cap and gown, about fifteen years old, stood between a younger version of the pregnant woman from the previous photo and a red-headed man of about twenty, the three of them grinning happily, arms around each other. A younger Jess, braces on her teeth, sat smiling in the midst of a group of laughing pre-teen girls. Present day Jess stood arm in arm with an older man, who must've been her father (they had the same chin), his brown hair and beard tinged with grey. A woman in her late thirties, with Jess' blue eyes and auburn hair, held a toddler Jess in her lap. A brunette girl of about thirteen and a younger boy with dark red hair and freckles stood on the shore of a lake, each holding one of four-year-old Jess' hands, swinging her between them as she laughed gleefully.

Becker felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see that Jess had changed while he was absorbed in the photos on the wall. She was now wearing a pink tank top and pink-and-yellow plaid pajama bottoms.

"I see you came by your love of color early," he teased, gesturing at the photo of Jess at the lake with her siblings, in which she was wearing a purple-and-green leopard print t-shirt over a pink tutu with purple floral leggings underneath.

Jess blushed, smiling fondly at the picture. "Yeah. My mum always let us pick out our own clothes, which usually ended in disaster, or at least embarrassment, in my case." Becker laughed.

She reached up to lace her fingers around the back of his neck, kissing him lightly, then turned and walked over to the bed, sliding under the comforter. Becker laid his uniform pants and shirt across the back of the armchair in the corner and followed in his boxers and t-shirt. Jess was lying on her side, and Becker settled himself against her, wrapping one arm around her waist. She covered his hand with her own, and they were both asleep within minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Jess woke the next morning to her alarm clock beeping, and wondered sleepily why it was going off on a Sunday. Before she could reach it, a muscular arm reached over her to blindly grope around the bedside table before finding the clock and turning it off. Still half-asleep and disoriented, Jess' heart almost jumped out of her chest before she recognized the arm as Becker's. Smiling idiotically to herself, she rolled onto her side to face him as he lowered his arm. Becker smiled at her sleepily, and she kissed his cheek. He turned to kiss her lips, pulling her close. She pressed herself against him, her fingers raking through his hair. He broke their kiss just long enough to pull her tank top over her head and toss it to the floor, quickly followed by his own t-shirt. He kissed her again, his hands on her hips as her fingers pressed into his back. He pulled the blankets up over their tangled limbs.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Abby bustled in without knocking, brushing her teeth.<p>

"Jess! Jess, is your phone on? There's an anomaly, we've gotta go," she said around the toothbrush, turning on the light. "Get up, or you're going to be..." Abby trailed off, her toothbrush hanging out of her open mouth, as a bleary-eyed Becker sat up in the bed next to Jess. As usual, Jess was scrunched in a ball under the covers, her head under her pillow, trying to snatch a few more minutes of sleep. She was almost as hard to drag out of bed as Connor.

* * *

><p>Becker smiled at the shocked look on Abby's face. "Good morning."<p>

Abby recovered herself quickly and answered him with an arched eyebrow. "I'll bet."

She turned on her heel and left the room, and Becker thought he heard laughter between the sounds of renewed teeth-brushing. He looked down at the form of Jess huddled under the comforter and grinned, thinking she was hiding in embarrassment.

"You can come out now," he teased. "Jess?" She didn't answer, and Becker realized she was sleeping. "Jess," he said, shaking her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Her head appeared from under the pillow, hair tousled, eyes still half-closed. "What time's it?"

"7:45."

She flopped onto her pillow with a groan. "It's Sunday!"

"There's an anomaly. We've got to go in to work."

Jess rolled out of bed with a melodramatic sigh, pulling her tank top back on, and shuffled into the bathroom, muttering, "We go an entire week without a single bloody peep, and suddenly anomalies decide to appear two days in a row, just as it gets to the weekend. Unbelievable..."

Becker chuckled, still sitting on the bed, as he heard the shower turn on, drowning out the sounds of her ranting. She definitely wasn't a morning person.

A few minutes later, Jess came out in a towel, another wrapped around her head.

"Come on, get up," she said, seeing he hadn't moved. "We're going to be late." She hurried over to her dresser, pulling out clothes. Becker reluctantly slid out of bed and padded over to the bathroom door to take a shower himself.

* * *

><p>Becker, freshly showered and dressed, took a deep breath before leaving Jess' bedroom. Walking into the kitchen, he found Connor grinning into his cereal bowl, sitting on a stool next to the kitchen island, while Jess, in a bathrobe, her hair still wrapped in a towel, poured two cups of coffee. She handed Becker one with a smile, carrying the other cup and a granola bar with her out of the room.<p>

"Morning, mate," Connor said, not taking his eyes off the bowl in front of him.

"Morning," Becker replied, nodding, and sat down on a stool opposite him. They sat in awkward silence for what felt to Becker like ten years, but was probably more like five minutes. Then Abby walked in and Connor stood, putting his dishes in the sink.

"See you later, Becker," Abby said over her shoulder as she and Connor walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Jess walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, pulling on her jacket, to find Becker seated on a stool, finishing his coffee.<p>

"People are going to start talking if we keep showing up at work together," he teased, grinning and walking over to her. "If they haven't started already."

His smile faded as he looked down, noticing her clothes. In place of her characteristic short skirt, she was wearing light grey trousers and a purple v-neck top under her favorite peach cardigan, her still-damp hair in a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Jess," he said softly, looking concerned. "What's going on with you? What's wrong?"

She had a pretty good idea what he meant, but gave him a bright smile, feigning ignorance. "Nothing."

Becker fixed her with a piercing stare, and she cracked.

"I... I just don't want people staring at me."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Jess, I'm pretty sure people stared at you before. Mostly men."

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny." Suddenly all her anxiety and self-doubt about the consequences of her accident came pouring out in a rush. "I just don't want anyone's pity... Or have them talk about why I was in the field in the first place, and my leg is just a constant reminder that I shouldn't have been out there. And I don't want people to think I can't do my job. They already think I'm not qualified or experienced enough, and I don't want them to think I won't be able to take care of teams in the field after what happened..." Her ramble trailed off, and she took a deep breath, staring at the floor.

She heard Becker walk up to her, his boots coming into view, but she didn't dare look up. _I can't believe I just said all that! I sound like a crazy person. Now __**he's**__ going to think I'm too traumatized to do my job properly._ Becker lifted her chin to look into her eyes. As always, Jess' heart began to race at his touch.

"No one who's seen you at work for more than thirty seconds could ever doubt your abilities."

She smiled genuinely at the praise, and he smiled back.

"Now come on," he said, taking her hand and heading for the door. "We're running late already."

_**Author's Note: This chapter and the next one are causing lots of frustrated teeth grinding, cause I'm still not completely happy with them. But let me know what y'all think. Next chapter is the last one.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Jess walked down the corridor to Connor's lab a few days later, a stack of files in her hand, and heard raised voices as she opened the door. The shouting stopped abruptly, and she found Philip Burton and Connor glaring at each other across the table. She'd clearly interrupted them in the middle of an argument.

"Sorry. Here, Connor," she said, setting the files down the table with a nervous smile. "I just need you to sign these, and then you can bring them back to-"

"Yes thank you, Jess," Burton interrupted snappishly, not looking at her. Connor gave her an apologetic, but distracted, smile.

"OK," Jess said as she hurried out of the room.

Jess headed back to Ops, wondering what was going on between Burton and Connor. Her encounter with the raptors and the ensuing medical leave, along with all the changes in her personal life, had pushed the problem of Burton and his mysterious connection to Helen Cutter to the back of her mind. But the scene in Connor's lab brought it once again to the forefront.

She turned and headed toward Danny Quinn's office. Jess didn't know the former leader of the ARC team, who now held a slightly ambiguous position, very well but she trusted him instinctively. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she already felt like she knew him from the files she'd read. Or the way that his teasing nature reminded her of her older brother. But above all it was due to the way he interacted with his old team - Abby, Connor, and Becker. He obviously cared about them, even Becker, and Jess admired the unswerving loyalty to and trust in each other that the four of them displayed.

* * *

><p>Reaching the door to Danny's office, Jess knocked once and opened the door, peeking around it. Danny sat at his desk, which was currently strewn with stacks of files and loose paper, scowling at his computer screen and occasionally banging a few keys. Jess winced at the sound.<p>

Looking up at the knock, Danny smiled in relief. "Thank God, I'm saved," he said. "I think this thing's eaten the report I was trying to write. Could you...?" He gestured vaguely at the screen with a shrug.

Jess came around the desk to stand behind him, and, leaning over his shoulder, pressed a few keys. "Maybe if you didn't refer to it as 'this thing,'" she teased, tapping the last key, and the document reappeared on the screen.

"Thanks, Jess," he said, grinning. "You're a genius."

"I know," she said with an answering grin. She started to leave, but Danny stopped her.

"Wait, Jess. Did you need something?"

Jess turned and opened her mouth to speak, to tell him about the argument she'd witnessed between Burton and Connor, but it no longer seemed so important. Maybe she was just overreacting, reading too much into the situation.

"No, nothing." She turned back to the door, closing it softly behind her.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, just before lunch time, Danny asked Matt, Jess, Becker, Abby, and Connor to meet him in the locker room. Jess walked in to find Becker leaning against the wall, arms crossed, Abby seated on one of the benches, and Connor standing behind her. All three looked up as Jess came in and went to stand next to Becker.<p>

"Do we know what this is about?" Connor asked.

Jess and Abby shook their heads, and Becker, with a shrug, said, "No."

Matt and Danny walked in at that moment.

"We're here so we won't be overheard. Everyone turn off your black boxes," Danny said, turning off his own.

They looked at each other for a moment before complying.

"Why do I feel like we've done this before?" Connor said to Abby as he sat down next to her.

Abby elbowed him in the ribs. "Shh."

Jess asked Danny, "Is this about the..." She glanced nervously at Connor, then whispered, "_Helen thing_?"

The rest of the team grinned at each other. Jess was not known for her subtlety.

"Thank you for that lovely introduction, Jess," Danny replied. "And yeah, it's about Burton and the anomalies."

"What?" Connor's head snapped around to stare at him, but it was Abby who answered.

"Burton knew Helen Cutter," she said as calmly as she could. "We think he might've been helping her with information about the anomalies."

"'We?' So the rest of you knew about this?" Connor looked around, but everyone avoided his eye. "No. No. He can't have been helping her. He wouldn't. You don't understand. He's trying to help with-" He broke off, as though he'd said too much.

"Help with what?" Becker asked.

"I found a list of questions in Helen's pack. Questions that she was planning to ask him. They were all about anomalies, how to control them, use them."

"He's trying to help with what?" Becker repeated in a dangerously calm voice.

Connor took a deep breath. "With the anomalies. They're getting more frequent and, if we don't do something about it soon, they'll just start appearing, all over the place, at the same time."

The team stood in shocked silence. Danny stared openmouthed. Becker stood up straight, arms falling to his sides. Abby wrapped her arms protectively about herself. Jess took a step closer to Becker, taking his hand. He glanced at her and, seeing her worried expression, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Matt was the only one with seemed unaffected by the news, and Becker was the only one who noticed. He made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the closemouthed new head of the ARC team.

_**Author's Note: Yes, I am ending it there with suspicious Becker. But I'm working on another story after this one, I just have a bunch of theater stuff the next few weeks so I may not have time to update. Reviews are love!**_


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